Valve stem grinding fixture



y 7- F. o. ALBERTSON 2,088,359-

VALVE STEM GRINDING FIXTURE Filed Dec. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 62726 I 0. flberz bon 16 g Ma @3544 Lfzfys.

y 7, 1937. F. o ALBR-rsoN 2,088,359

VALVE STEM GRINDING FIXTURE Filed Dec. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizuenfw v Warns O. flberiison MW, dim g, flfi! v Zuf.

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Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES to Albertson VALVE STEM GRINDING FIXTURE Frans 0. Albertson, Sioux City,

Iowa, assignor & Company, Inc., Sioux City,

Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Y Application December 28, 1935, Serial No. 56,438

12 Claims;

The present invention relates to valve stem grin-ding fixtures, and is particularly concerned with a fixture or attachment which is adapted to be used for grinding the valve stems of valves for internal combustion motors which do not have any provision for adjusting the length of the valve stem or the clearance at the valve other than by making the stem of predetermined length.

For example, the Ford motor cars, Models A, B and V-8, have no provision for any adjustment of the valve clearance other than the mak-.

ing of the valve stem of such. predetermined length that the valve will have the clearance desired, and the present fixture is particularly adapted to be used upon valves for these motors.

The common way of fitting valves in engines of this type is to cut and try the valve in the engine, until the length of the stem has been made such that the clearance desired exists between the valve and its seat.

However, it frequently happens in this cut and try system that too much metal is removed from the end of the valve stem, thereby making the valve stem too short, so that that valve cannot be used, and a new valve must be substituted.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved gauge by means of which valve stems for motors of the type described may be accurately fitted without any wastage, and with the desired valve clearance.

Another object of the invention is theprovision of an improved gauge of the class described, by means of which the clearance is automatically provided without any particular attention on the part of the operator except the setting of the gauge to the clearance desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve stem gauge of the class described which is more accurate than the devices of the prior art, more sturdy, more simple, and capable of faster grinding action, so that the valve stems may be fitted more quickly, accurately and economically with the present device than with the devices of the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The present fixture is particularly adapted to be used in connection with the grinder of valve grinding machines of the type disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 1, 722,880, Valve grinding machine, issued July 30, 1929, and 1,909,446, Valve grinding machine, issued May 16, 1933. I desire it to be understood, however, that the fixture and gauge may be used with various different types of grinders in which the proximity of the grinder to the fixture may be adjusted so as to grind oif the stem of a valve to a length predetermined by the gauge.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are two sheets,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a complete installation showing fragments of the grinding machine and the whole fixture, with the gauge in gauging. position; I

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same structure, except that a valve has been.substituted for the gauge, showing the device in the grinding operation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view takenon'the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the details of structure of the fixture and gauge;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the plane of the p line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing other details of structure;

w Fig. 5 is a fragmentary. top plan view of the valve head as it is disposed in the fixture, during the grinding operation, showing how the device automatically provides a suitable valve clearance;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the gauge, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, showing the indicia for indicating the amount of valve clearance.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates in its entirety the grinding machine, which is provided with a carriage l2, customarily used for movably supporting a chuck, as shown in the patents mentioned. The base 20 of the grinding machine also has a carriage for movably supporting the grinder assembly, which includes the grinding wheel 30. By reference to the patents mentioned, which are hereby incorporated as a part of this disclosure, it will be found that the chuck carriage I2 is adapted to be moved transversey to the grinding wheel, that is, upwardly and downwardly, in Fig. 1, by means of an appropriate lever, while the grinder carriage, including the motor and grinding wheel 30, is adapted to be moved from left to right, and vice versa, in Fig. 1, by means of an appropriate crank, as shown in said patents.

The chuck carriage I2 is preferably provided with an upwardly projecting bolt l3 adapted to be used for securing the present fixture to the grinding machine. Bolt l3 has a nut I4 and a washer i which engage above the base iii of the fixture which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral H.

The fixture H has its base |6 provided with a substantially fiat bottom surface l8 and with a transversely extending slot |9 for receiving the bolt l3. Slot l9 communicates with the outer border of the base by means of a communicating slot 2| which enables the fixture to he slid on to the bolt |3 form the right in Fig. 1.

In order to assure the location of the fixture with its axis at right angles to the axisof the grinding wheel 30, the bottom surface |8 of the fixture base is provided with a transversely extending rib 22, which fits in a slot 23 in the chuck carriage l2.

It is thus a relatively simple matter to secure the present device in its proper position, arranged so that the cylindrical surface of grinding wheel will grind the end of the valve stem with a flat surface at right angles to the axis of the stem. The base US of the fixture I1 is provided with an upwardly extending portion or column 24 which supports a laterally projecting arm 25. The arm 25 has two upwardly projecting portions 26 and 21 which are adapted to support the forked members 28, 29.

For this purpose arm 21 is provided with a vertically extending slot 3| at the top for receiving the screw bolt 32 which passes through this slot and is threaded into the forked plate 29. Plate 29 comprises a substantially rectangular steel plate with a threaded bore 33 for bolt 32 and having a substantially V-shaped slot 34 at the top. The plate 28 may be identical in shape, but is provided with an unthreaded bore 35 through which extends the screw bolt 36, which is threaded into the threaded bore 31 in the arm 26. Plate 28 is preferably located in a rabbeted recess 38 so as to have its lower edge engaging a shoulder 39 and to enable the single bolt 36 to secure plate 28 against rotation. It likewise has a V-shaped slot 34 at the top. The plate 29, having its bolt 32 secured in a slot 3|, the elevation of plate 29 may be so adjusted with respect to that of plate 28 that the slots 34 are adapted to hold a valve stem in level position or in such position that they are at right angles to a tangent of the periphery of the grinding wheel 30 at the point of contact.

The fixture so far described comprises all of the parts necessary for the support of the gauge or valve stem on the grinding machine in grinding position or otherwise, and I shall now proceed to -describe the further features which enable the determination of the length of the stem.

The fixture is preferably provided with a gauge unit, which is indicated by the numeral 40, and this gauge unit comprises a dummy stem 4| and a gauge head 42. The dummy stem 4| is of substantially the same size as the valve stem of an engine of the type described, but, since the valve stem guides of such engines are removable, this dummy valve stem is preferably provided with a cylindrical enlargement 43 located to engage in the recesses or guides or bore which usually supportthe valve stem guide. The valve stem grinding attachment is preferably provided with several such dummy valve stems which may have enlargements 43 of different size for fitting in the places of the various valve stem guides.

In some embodiments of the invention the enlargements 43 may be totally omitted and the stem made of suitable size to fit in the guide itself. The dummy valve stem 4| is provided with substantially fiat end surfaces 44, 45 and is preferably made of a good quality of steel so that it may beaccurately machined and so that it can be used as a part of a gauge.

The gauge head 42 may comprise a sleeve 46 having a cylindrical bore 41 adapted to slidably engage. the reduced cylindrical part 48 of the dummy valve stem 40. Sleeve 46 has an exterior cylindrical surface 49 and may be provided at one end with a frusto-conical valve seat engaging surface 59 located upon a radially extending flange 5|. Intermediate the fiange 5| and the cylindrical outer surface 49 of sleeve 46 there is a threaded cylindrical portion 52 of sufiicient size so that the complementary threaded bore 53 of a stop engagingmember 54 can pass over the cylindrical portion 49.

This stop engaging member comprises an annular member having a knurled outer surface 55, the centrally located bore 53, a frusto-conical surface 56, and the flat end surfaces 51, 58. The knurled outer surface 55 is adapted to be engaged by the fingers when this portion of the head is adjusted to provide the desired walve clearance.

The sleeve 46 also slidably supports a thrust member 59, which comprises another sleeve slidably mounted on the sleeve 46. Thrust member 59 has a frusto-conical surface 60, upon which are located the indicia and scale divisions of zero to fifty, or other appropriate divisions, depending upon the thread.

In the present embodiment the thread 52, 53 is such that a portion of a turn of the member v 54 on these threads moves it axially on the head 42 one-thousandth of an inch. Thus the indicia on surface 60 may be used for adjustments between zero and fifty-thousandths of an inch. The end 6| of the thrust member 59 engages flatly against the end 58 of member 54 and provides sufficient friction to retain member 54 in any adjusted position.

An additional housing sleeve 62 is carried upon the sleeve 46 and provided with a ccunterbore 63 for housing a compression spring 64 to urge the thrust member 59 toward the right in Fig. 3. Housing sleeve 62 may be secured to sleeve 46 by providing a threaded bore 65 which passes through the sleeves 46 and 62, and is adapted to receive a locking screw 66. Looking screw 66 has a knurled head 61 and is adapted to be used to secure the entire head 42 on the dummy valve stem 4|.

The frusto-conical surface 56 on the member 54 corresponds substantially to the frusto-conical surface 68 on a replacement valve 69, being at the same radial distance from the center of the dummy valve stem 4| as the seat 68 is from the center of the valve stem 69.

When the gauge is placed in the engine with the surface 56 engaging the valve seat, the frustoconical surface 50 on'fiange 5| is inside of the diameter of the valve seat and does not engage the seat. Therefore, the length of the stem and head from the end surface 44 to frusto-conical surface 56 determines the length of a valve which should be used on that seat.

One of the objects of the present gauge is to provide automatically for the desired amount of clearance. This may be done by setting the rotatable member 54 so that the scale on surface 60 indicates in connection with the marker line or pointer 19 the desired clearance.

The fixture I1 is provided with suitable stops which are adapted to engage the frusto-conical surface 5| to provide for this automatic clearance,-as will now be explained in detail.

For example, the arm 25'is provided with a horizontally extending bore 'I| adapted to receive the cylindrical stub shaft or guide I2. The arm 25 is also split and provided with a slot I3 extending from the bottom of the arm and communicating with the bore II and a transverse bolt I4 which passes through a bore on one side of the slot I3, and is threaded into a threaded bore on the other side of slot I3. Bolt I4 is thus adapted to clamp the halves of the arm 25 on the stub shaft I2 to fixedly secure this shaft to the fixture. The shaft or guide I2 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot I5 for slidably engaging a fiber key I6 which is carried by the slider II to prevent rotation of the slider on shaft I2.

The slider 11 comprises a cast metal member which is provided with a transverse bore I8 for slidably receiving the shaft I2. The bore I8 communicates with a vertical slot I9 which is adapted to receive the fiber key I6 with considerable clearance.

- This forms a pair of legs 80, 8| on opposite sides of the slot I9, through which a threaded clamping member 82 passes. The leg 8| has an enlarged bore 83, while the leg has a threaded bore 84 for receiving the clamping member 82. Clamping member 82 may comprise a cylindrical body 85 with the reduced threaded portion 84 and an annular shoulder 86 for engaging the side of the slider 11. A transverse pin 81 enables the operator to apply the hand more conveniently to this threaded clamping member which draws the two "legs 8|], 8| together and clamps the slider 11 on the stub shaft or guide I2. The clearance between the slot I9 and fiber key I6 is such that the fiber key does not interfere with this clamping action. The fiber key I6 may comprise a piece of fiber board having a bore for passing the threaded clamping member 82 and extending upward into the slot or keyway I5 in shaft I2.

The upper inner corner of the fiber key I6 is cut away at 88 so as not to interfere with a compression coil spring 89 which is wound about the shaft I2 and compressed between the body of the fixture l1 and slider 11. The slider 'II fixedly supports a pair of upwardly projecting stop members 90, 92 which may consist of tempered steel members of substantially cylindrical form, having a reduced cylindrical supporting peg 93 in each case. The reduced cylindrical supporting peg has a drive fit in the bore 94 in each case, thereby permanently fixing these guide members 90, 92 to the slider 11.. These stop members 90, 92 are provided with segmental plane surfaces 9| which are arranged at an angle to the axis of the fixture which is equal to the angularity of the valve and valve seat with which the fixture is used.

The axis of the fixture in this case may be defined as the axis of the gauge or valve when its stem is located in the V-shaped slots 34, and this angularity may, for example, be approximately forty-five degrees, although any other angularity may also be employed. The stop members 90, 92 are spaced from each other sufiiciently so that they will engage the frusto-conical surface 50, and the frusto-conical surface 56 will be spaced from the stop surfaces 9| an amount which is determined by the clearance for that valve stem. The mode of use of the valve stem grinding stem is as follows:

The gauge head 42 is attached to an appropriate dummy valve stem 4|, and the motor cam shaft is placed in the correct position for measand the lower end 44 of the dummy valve stem is.

permitted to rest upon its actuating cam, rocker arm or other actuating member in the engine. The gauge head has previously been adjusted so that the indicia thereon shows the proper number of thousandths of an inch clearance adjacent the pointer I0. With the valve stem in this position and the cam shaft in proper position for closure of the valve, the gauge head 42 is permitted to rest with its frusto-conical surface 56 on the valve seat, and the set screw 66 is screwed in until the gauge head is firmly secured to the dummy valve stem 4|.

The length of the valve stem in connection with the dummy valve surface'56 has then been accurately taken, and the gauge may be removed from the valve. The gauge may then be placed in the V-shaped notches 34 of the fixture which has already been mounted upon the grinding machine in proper position, and the slider 11 is adjusted upon the guide I2 so that the frusto-conical" surface 50 on the gauge strikes the plane surfaces 9| on the stop members 90, 92 when the end 44 of the dummy valve stem strikes the grinding wheel. It should be noted here that the frusto-conical surface 58 is closer to the end 44 of the valve stem of the gauge than the frustoconical surface 56 is distant from this surface 44 by an amount which is equal to the desired clearance. This is evidenced by the slight crack 95 (Fig. 1) between these two parts of the head. Since the closer gauge surface is used when the gauge is placed in the fixture, the fixture is thus set for a stem which is slightly shorter than that measured by an amount which is equal to the clearance desired. Neither the grinding wheel nor the position of the fixture should then be changed, since their relative positions are now such as to determine the proper length for the valve stem.

The gauge unit should then be removed from the V-shaped notches, and the valve which is intended to be used in connection with the particular valve seat that has been measured is placed in the V-shaped notches 34 of the fixture. The motor driving the grinding wheel 30 is started, and the stem of the valve is fed toward the grinding wheel by hand, sliding in the notches 34 until the valve surface 68 engages the stop surfaces 9|. When the valve has been pushed to the right and fed to the grinding wheel as far as the stop surface 9| will permit, the stem 96 is then of proper length and the valve is provided with suitable clearance. Each valve should beseparately measured and ground after the fixture is again set.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved valve stem grinding attachment and gauge which is adapted to provide automatically the desired clearance for a valve stem merely by setting. the gauge head at the clearance desired.

- The present grinding arrangement does not involve placing the valve itself in any complicated clamping,device, and the attachment is, therefore, capable of grinding valve stems more accuvalve stems of this type which have no other adjustment, and the present device is faster and more accurate than any of the devices of the prior art of which I am aware,

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a dummy valve stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts provided with frusto-conical surfaces, one of said frusto-conical surfaces being located to engage the valve seat, and the other of said frusto-conical surfaces being located to be free of the valve seat.

2. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a dummy valve stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts provided with frusto-conical surfaces, one of said frusto-conical surfaces being located to engage thevalve seat, and the other of said frusto-conical surfaces being located to be free of the valve seat, said parts being movably mounted with respect to each other, and indicating means carried by said gauge for indicating the displacement of said frusto-conical surfaces with respect to each other in the direction of the axis of the dummy valve stem. a

3. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a dummy valve stem with an adjustable head mounted thereon, said head comprising a sleeved member having a radially extending flange with a frusto-conical stop surface, said sleeve having threads adjacent said flange, an annular member movably mounted on the threaded portion of said sleeve and having a second frusto-conical stop surface located to engage a valve seat, and indicating means carried by said gauge for indicating the longitudinal displacement of said annular member with respect to said flange on said valve stem.

4. In a valve stem gauge, the combination oi. a dummy valve stem with an adjustable head mounted thereon, said head comprising a sleeved member having a radially extending flange with a frusto-conical stop surface, said sleeve having threads adjacent said flange, an annular member movably mounted on the threaded portion of said sleeve and having a second frusto-conical stop surface located to engage a valve seat, indicating means carried by'said gauge for indicating the longitudinal displacement of said annular member with respect to said flange on said valve stem, and friction means comprising a member engaging said annular member and having resilient means for urging said latter member against said annular member. a

5. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a dummy valve stem with an adjustable head mounted thereon, said head comprising a sleeved member having a radially extending flange with a frusto-conical stop surface, said sleeve having threads adjacent said flange, an annular member movably mounted on the threaded portion of said sleeve and having a second frusto-conical stop surface located to engage a valve seat, indicating means carried by said gauge for indicating the longitudinal displacement of said annular member with respect to said flange on said valve stem,

friction means comprising a member engaging said annular member and having resilient means for urging said latter member against said annular member, and clamping means for securing said head in any of a plurality of predetermined positions on said dummy valve stem.

6. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts rotatably mounted with respect to each other and provided with stop surfaces, one of which is adapted to engage a valve seat, and the other of which is adapted to engage a fixture, and means for ad- I justably securing said head to said stem to determine the proper length for a valve stem.

'7. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a a stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts rotatably mounted with respect to each other and provided with stop surfaces, one of which is adapted to engage a valve seat, and the other of which is adapted to engage a fixture, and means for adjustably securing said head to said stem to determine the proper length for a valve stem, said pair of parts being rotatably mounted with respect to each other, and having a screw thread connection whereby said stop surfaces may be moved axially with respect to each other on said stem.

8. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts rotatably mounted with respect to each other and provided with stop surfaces, one of which is adapted to engage a valve seat, and the other of which is adapted to engage a fixture, and means for adjustably securing said head to said stem to determine the proper length for a valve stem, said pair of parts being rotatably mounted with respect to each other, and having a screw thread connection whereby said stop surfaces may be moved axially with respect to each other on said stem, one of said parts having a pointer, and the other of said parts having a scale whereby the axial displacement of said stop surfaces may be determined for the purpose of providing the stem with a predetermined clearance.

9. In a valve stem gauge, the combination of a stem with a head adjustably mounted on said stem, said head having a pair of parts rotatably mounted with respect to each other and provided with stop surfaces, one of which is adapted to engage a valve seat, and the other of which is adapted to engage a fixture, and means for adjustably securing said head to said stem to determine the proper length for a valve stem, said pair of parts being rotatably mounted with respect to each other, and having a screw thread connection whereby said stop surfaces may be moved axially with respect to each other on said stem, one of said parts having a pointer, and the other of said parts having a scale whereby the axial displacement of said stop surfaces may be determined for the purpose of providing the stem with a predetermined clearance, and said stop surfaces being frusto-conical.

10. In a valve stem gauge, a head comprising a sleeved member provided with a bore adapted to receive a stem and having a frusto-conical enlargement at one end, said sleeve having a threaded portion and a collar provided with a frusto-conical surface and having a threaded bore for receiving said threaded portion, an indicator sleeve mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve and engaging said collar, said indicator sleeve and collar being provided with a cooperating scale and'pointer, and said indicator sleeve being non-rotatably mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve, whereby the axial position of said collar on said first-mentioned sleeve is indicated by said scale and pointer to indicate the valve stem clearance.

11. In a valve stem gauge, a head comprising a sleeved member provided with a bore adapted to receive a stem and having a frusto-conical enlargement at one end, said sleeve having a threaded portion and a collar provided with a frustoconical surface and having a threaded bore for receiving said threaded portion, an indicator sleeve mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve and engaging said collar, said indicator sleeve and collar being provided with a cooperating scale and pointer, and said indicator sleeve being non-rotatably mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve, whereby the axial position of said collar on said first-mentioned sleeve is indicated by said scale and pointer to indicate the valve stem clearance, resilient means surrounding said firstmentioned sleeve and pressing said indicating 5 sleeve against said collar, and stop means carried by said first-mentioned sleeve for engaging the other end ofsaid spring.

12. In a valve stem gauge, a head comprising a sleeved member provided with abore adapted to receive a stem and having a frusto-conical enlargement at one end, said sleeve having a threaded portion and a collar provided with a frusto-conical surface and having a threaded bore for receiving said threaded portion, an indicator sleeve mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve and engaging said collar, said indicator sleeve and collar being provided with a cooperating scale and pointer, and said indicator sleeve being non-rotatably mounted on said first-mentioned sleeve, whereby the axial position of said collar on said first-mentioned sleeve is indicated by said scale and pointer to indicate the valve 

